By BlackBusiness.com
Photos: BlackBusiness.com\Nassau Investment
Mike Ealy is not just a real estate magnate in his own right; he’s a visionary who has transformed his passion for real estate into a multi-million-dollar portfolio. And he’s committed to helping others do so too. “I didn’t come from a wealthy family, but wealthy families will come from me,” quips Ealy, president of Cincinnati-based Nassau Investments, a commercial real estate investment firm. “I’m the first one in my family to do this, so that’s why I’m so passionate about giving back and teaching,” says “It all starts with knowledge and believing in yourself. You. Can. Do. This!”
From humble beginnings dreaming of a career in STEM to the helm of a thriving real estate empire, Ealy’s journey is a remarkable one of inspiration and resilience. Born and raised in Cincinnati, his career trajectory took an unexpected turn during his time as a student at Tuskegee University, an historically Black university in Alabama. His love of math initially drew him to electrical engineering, but he read a book that lit a fire in him to give real estate a try. “I ended up being a real estate guy,” says Ealy with a smile, reflecting on that pivotal shift that changed the course of his life.
He first embarked on his real estate journey in his 20s with $3,000 he’d saved from working multiple jobs. He started small, acquiring his first property using creative financing strategies he’d picked up from reading more books on real estate investing and business. He eventually acquired multiple properties and enjoyed a validating season of financial rewards. However, he soon learned the hard way that he did not have the right foundation and structure and unexpectedly lost it all during the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy and when race riots erupted in Cincinnati.
Defeated, Ealy initially wallowed in what he perceived as “the valley of failure,” but then he stepped out on faith, opting to change his perspective. “I cannot lie, at first I was feeling defeated, like a failure, like I let myself and my family down,” he remembers. “But then I brushed myself off and used my ‘get back up muscles’ and eased myself back into the game. It was an unfortunate experience, but it taught me some important life lessons that I needed to learn early on, about the power of perseverance and adaptability. For that, I am eternally grateful.”
Ealy stayed the course and eventually bounced back, leveraging what became known as the “the Great Recession” as a stepping stone to rebuild his wealth…READ MORE
